Horseback Riding - C.J.'s Ranch at Camp Farley

Weekly Program

Horseback riding has been a popular part of Camp Farley's 75+ year history and is pleased to welcome back Cathy Hill and her staff from CJ's Ranch for their 9th year. Cathy, a lifelong equestrian, is a licensed riding instructor which gears her teaching skills towards a balanced relationship with the horse both on the ground and in the saddle. She is a sought after trainer and clinician, and is a leader in award winning 4-H clubs and drill team activities throughout New England.

Camp Farley's optional program is designed to give boys and girls, 8 years old (while at camp) and older, the basic skills required to safely ride, care for and handle horses. Instruction and riding are combined in 3-hour classes, 5 days each week. Campers participate in other camp activities while not in horseback riding and must be enrolled in Camp Farley's Overnight or Day Camp program.

Cathy and her staff carefully select the horses and/or ponies for their suitability and appropriateness to handle children of all riding levels. There are 2 sessions each day, with 10 riders in each session. Older campers generally are placed in the morning group, with younger campers having the afternoon group. This allows the staff to gear for age appropriate horse activities during each session. The sessions are typically started with selecting the suitable horses for the day, grooming, tacking and preparing for the ride. Each camper is given a one on one riding lesson each day along with time to enjoy practicing what they have learned. Campers get the opportunity throughout the week of riding a variety of the horses to help them develop a feel for the true art of horsemanship.

Both English and western riding is available, but a strong influence is placed on Western Dressage techniques as a means of establishing the fundamentals of balance and control. Horsemanship levels of each camper are evaluated on Monday's and the dynamics of that week's program will be geared accordingly. Throughout the week campers will learn proper mounting, steering, stopping, impulsion by developing a balanced seat and aids for cueing desired movements.

Camp will provide protective headgear, but campers signed up for riding must have long pants and hard soled shoes during their horse session. For safety considerations, campers will not be allowed to wear open-toed footwear during the horse session. For liability purposes, parents will be asked to provide camp a signed liability waiver. This form can be printed from our website or will be mailed after registering.